An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Rasse
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Rasse, feminine, ‘race, breed,’ borrowed in the 18th century from French race, which is recorded as early as the 16th century, at which period the English word race was also borrowed; the French term and its Romance cognates (Italian razza is met with even in the 14th century) are derived from Old High German reitza, reiȥȥa, feminine, ‘line.’